A ballad is a story told or sung in verse, as the word “ballad” literally means dance songs. Ballads are used to tell the series of facts of one event and makes us think about how we should react to it.
Characteristics of ballads:
Here is a list of the characteristics of ballads:
Most ballads have a narrator to tell the story.
Ballads tend to have a specific verse form of quatrains, four lines per stanza.
Ballads have refrains, a repeated line used throughout the poem.
Most ballads contain dialogue.
The common rhyme scheme of many ballads is (ABCB) with ballad stanza lines 2 and 4 rhyming.
Ballads tend to be extremely specific, providing details in a brief yet direct manner.
Common themes include tragic love, history, supernatural, unbelievable incidents, tragic stories, shocking events, etc.
Requirements for your ballad:
Meet the following requirements:
The topic must be related to a character or event in the novel.
The ballad must contain 10 stanzas in length
The ballad needs to focus on one central obvious theme of your choice.
The ballad must contain an ABCB rhyme scheme.
You must include a refrain that repeats at least four times in the poem.
You can use dialogue directly from the book, but must use quotation marks around it.
Your ballad must be typed with a title "The Ballad of <fill in your subject>".
How do I even start???
Click here for help too. The easiest way to get started is with the refrain. Think of one phrase that can be repeated throughout your poem that deals directly with your topic and theme. That probably won't be your first line but it will get you thinking about the theme specifically. Once you have that established, decide on the details of the event that you want to include and organize them chronologically. Start retelling the details in four line groups. Don't forget the rhyme scheme!
Introduction
A ballad is a story told or sung in verse, as the word “ballad” literally means dance songs. Ballads are used to tell the series of facts of one event and makes us think about how we should react to it.
Characteristics of ballads:
Here is a list of the characteristics of ballads:Requirements for your ballad:
Meet the following requirements:How do I even start???
Click here for help too.The easiest way to get started is with the refrain. Think of one phrase that can be repeated throughout your poem that deals directly with your topic and theme. That probably won't be your first line but it will get you thinking about the theme specifically. Once you have that established, decide on the details of the event that you want to include and organize them chronologically. Start retelling the details in four line groups. Don't forget the rhyme scheme!